Music News
Sabrina Carpenter’s New Album Is Coming Soon, And Its Name Is Hidden In Recent Songs
Get ready to go hunting, because Sabrina Carpenter has hidden plenty of Easter eggs. On Monday night (Jan. 4), the American singer and songwriter stopped by The Tonight Show for a chat about the Big Apple, “Skinny Dipping,” Emergency, and her forthcoming album, which is due out sometime this year. We don’t yet know its title, though, according to Carpenter, the details are hiding in plain sight. “I’ve hidden the album name somewhere in work that I’ve put out over the last year,” she explains, “but my fans haven’t found it yet.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news Game on. What we do know for sure, is that her new song is called “Fast Times,” which, like the rest of the album, was recorded in New York. At the top of the interview, Jimmy Fallon played a snippet of “Skinny Dipping,” wh...
Omarion Reminds Fans He’s an ‘Artist, Not a Variant’
Omarion sent season’s greetings to his fans in a series of PSAs that reminded them he’s not to be confused with the latest Omicron variant of COVID-19. During Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest on Dec. 31, Omarion sat down and set the record straight. “I am an artist, not a variant,” he said to the camera sternly in the first clip that he posted to his personal TikTok page. “So please be aware if you just so happen to run into me on the street, you don’t have to isolate for five days nor do you have to have a negative test result in order to dance to my music. So please be safe, be healthy, happy new year!” Explore Explore Omarion See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Omarion echoed the CDC’s updated isolation guidelines, which advise tho...
Gal Gadot Admits Viral ‘Imagine’ Cover Was ‘In Poor Taste’
It’s been nearly two years since Gal Gadot received backlash for her star-studded cover of John Lennon‘s “Imagine” when COVID-19 first began to spread. The Wonder Woman star is now reflecting on the poorly received video, and has a different opinion on it. In a new interview for InStyle‘s February issue, Gadot discussed the criticism for the 2020 cover, which featured appearances by Amy Adams, Zoë Kravitz, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo and a number of other celebrities. “The pandemic was in Europe and Israel before it came here [to the U.S.] in the same way,” she said. “I was seeing where everything was headed. But [the video] was premature. It wasn’t the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing. It was in poor taste.” While the video was meant to provide comfort and a sense of unity as...
Jack Harlow Honored With His Own Day in Louisville Hometown
Jack Harlow is entering the new year with a new honor. On Monday, the Grammy-nominated artist revealed that Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer named Dec. 28 Jack Harlow Day in the rapper’s Kentucky hometown. Harlow shared the news by posting a photo of his honorary plaque on Instagram. With a fun reference to his 2020 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Whats Poppin,” the plate reads, “For answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home’ in hometown or homegrown. The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does.” The honorary plaque concludes, “Our city is excited and proud to observe December 28, 2021, a...
Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of Upcoming Albums in 2022
It’s a difficult task to keep track of all the music that’s being released in a given week, let alone a month or whole year. From pop and hip-hop to alternative, K-pop, country and more, the choices for music fans can feel endless. And that’s not even considering vinyl, re-releases and collectible editions. Below, check out Billboard‘s running monthly calendar of upcoming releases to stay in the know; check back often for updates to our schedule of albums to look forward to each week. Jan. 7 Eric Nam, There and Back AgainRuPaul, MamaruThe Weeknd, Dawn FMThe Wombats, Fix Yourself, Not the WorldTwin Atlantic, TransparencyYears & Years, Night Call Jan. 14 Elvis Costello & The Imposters, The Boy Named IfThe Lumineers, BrightsideUnderoath, Voyeurist Jan. 21 Aoife O’Donovan, Age of ...
Supergroup GOT the Beat Debuts ‘Step Back’ at Record-Breaking SMTOWN Live Concert
GOT the Beat, a new seven-member supergroup made up of BoA, Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy and Aespa’s Karina and Winter, rang in 2022 with their debut single, “Step Back.” The group brought the song, which has Yoo Young Jin and Dem Jointz among its producers, to the stage for a special performance at SMTOWN Live 2022 on New Year’s Eve. “Step Back” was officially released as a single on Jan. 3. Explore See latest videos, charts and news GOT the Beat is the “first unit” of a new SM Entertainment project known as Girls on Top, set to bring together and highlight the company’s female artists in various groups. SMTOWN Live 2022, a free event for fans around the world that took place at the “SMCU Express Station” in a virtual space known as “KWANGYA,” fea...
Jay Weaver, Bassist for Big Daddy Weave, Dies at 42 from COVID-19
Jay Weaver, the bass player and a vocalist for Big Daddy Weave, has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 42. His brother, Mike Weaver, frontman of veteran Christian band, announced the sad news on Sunday (Jan. 2) through social media. “My brother Jay went to be with Jesus just a couple hours ago,” Mike Weaver said in the emotional video clip on Instagram, adding that Jay died from “complications with COVID-19 on top of everything else that he already had going on.” He continued, “You’ve seen him walk the uphill battle and you guys helped carry him through so much. The Lord used him in such a mighty way out on the road for so many years. Anybody who’s come in contact with him knows how real his faith in Jesus was. Even though COVID took his last breath, Jesus was right there to catch...
The Weeknd Collaborator Jim Carrey Calls Singer’s ‘Dawn FM’ Album ‘Deep and Elegant’: ‘It Danced Me Around the Room’
Jim Carrey is a huge fan of The Weeknd‘s upcoming album, Dawn FM. Shortly after the R&B singer-songwriter officially announced the album’s title and release date on Monday (Jan. 3), the famed actor and comedian — who is listed as a collaborator in a cryptic video teaser for the project — praised the forthcoming release on social media. “I listened to Dawn FM with my good friend Abel @theweeknd last night. It was deep and elegant and it danced me around the room. I’m thrilled to play a part in his symphony,” Carrey tweeted in response to The Weeknd’s announcement. Explore Explore The Weeknd See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, then thanked Carey for his mysterious involvement in Dawn FM. “It’s kismet. Full circle,” the...
Janet Jackson Documentary Sets Release Date, Drops New Trailer: Watch
A two-night, four-hour look into Janet Jackson‘s life and career is arriving this month. A&E and Lifetime announced a premiere date for the first part of Janet, the pop star’s upcoming documentary, along with a new, extended trailer released on Jan. 1. Part one of Janet will air on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. “It’s just something that needs to be done,” Jackson says of the project in the three-plus minute clip that debuted via social media on New Year’s Day. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Janet includes exclusive archival footage, home videos and celebrity interviews — with stars like Missy Elliott, Whoopi Goldberg, Mariah Carey and Ciara, who are all seen talking about the icon in the new trailer. The sneak peek shows Jackson looking back at her childhood and early day...
Stephen J. Lawrence, ‘Sesame Street’ Composer, Dies at 82
Stephen J. Lawrence, a Daytime-Emmy-winning composer for Sesame Street, has died. He was 82. Lawrence died on Dec. 30 at Clara Maas Medical Center in Belleville, N.J., his wife Cantor Cathy Lawrence confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. A cause of death was not provided. Born on Sept. 5, 1939, Lawrence served as a composer, music director, arranger and conductor on the longtime children’s television series Sesame Street for more than 30 years. He composed over 300 songs and scores for the program, including “Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange),” co-written with David Axelrod. He received three Daytime Emmy awards for outstanding achievement in music direction and composition for his work on the show. With an interest in children’s education, Lawrence also collaborated with The Jim He...
Broadway’s ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Going on 9-Week Hiatus in Attempt to Stay Open
Mrs. Doubtfire is taking unusual measures to hopefully avoid a permanent closure amid a surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron variant. Producers behind the Broadway show, which opened Dec. 5 at New York City’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre, announced Sunday (Jan. 2) that the project would go on a nine-week hiatus. The break will run from Jan. 10 through March 14. “With the pervasiveness of the omicron variant of COVID-19, Mrs. Doubtfire would have to close permanently if the production didn’t take drastic, proactive measures,” a statement read, in part. “Mrs. Doubtfire has been in development for six years. We are doing everything in our power to keep the virus from prematurely ending our run on Broadway. By taking this break, we can afford to launch an ext...
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo Celebrates 27th Birthday, Shares Adorable Childhood Photos
Happy birthday, Jisoo! The South Korean singer and actress celebrated her 27th birthday on Monday (Jan. 3), receiving lots of love from her fellow BLACKPINK members and the K-pop quartet’s army of Blinks. “Thank you for all the birthday wishes!! Today feels extra special with all my Blinks. Love you guys,” Jisoo captioned a photo on Instagram of herself holding a tiny cake. The sweet-voiced singer also shared two adorable childhood photos of herself, one wearing a cute white bib while seated in a high chair and another sporting pigtails and a stylish silver jacket. Explore Explore BlackPink See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “+ Here’s baby Jisoo,” Jisoo added in the caption. BLACKPINK’s official social media accounts, along with the pages for the group’s ...
